Ranchi. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning in the money laundering case through illegal mining in Jharkhand. He has been asked to reach the ED’s office in Ranchi at 11:30 am on November 3. Along with sending summons to the Chief Minister, the ED has written a letter to the Director General of Police requesting to make special arrangements for security in the ED office on November 3. The ED has already arrested Pankaj Mishra, his representative based in Barhait, the assembly constituency of the Chief Minister, in this case. The ED has mentioned in detail the political patronage given to him in the chargesheet filed against Pankaj Mishra. It is believed that the Chief Minister has been called for questioning on the basis of the facts revealed by the ED raids on more than 20 places in connection with his interrogation and illegal mining.
The ED had also caught the case of Pankaj Mishra talking to officials over phone and intimidating him in the name of the Chief Minister during his stay in RIMS in judicial custody. The ED has also collected evidence during the investigation of illegal mining in Sahibganj that Pankaj Mishra and his associates used to intimidate the district officials by taking the name of the Chief Minister in the case of illegal mining. According to the ED’s charge sheet, officers were prevented from taking action using political clout in the name of the Chief Minister. During a raid in Sahibganj, the ED had found an envelope from the house of Pankaj Mishra. It contained a check book linked to the chief minister’s bank account. Two of these checkbooks were signed. However, the amount was not mentioned in it. In the case of illegal mining, the ED had also arrested a person close to power, Prem Parkash. He had also mentioned his political ties during the interrogation.
The ED had earlier also arrested Jharkhand’s senior IAS Mining Secretary Pooja Singhal for money laundering through the MNREGA scam. 17.49 crore cash was found from the whereabouts of CA Suman Kumar associated with him. During the investigation, the ED had come to know that the amount received from illegal mining was also included in this. During interrogation, questions related to all these issues can be asked to the Chief Minister. The ED can also send notices to some senior officers and call them for questioning. The names of these officers came to the fore during interrogation of the arrested accused. It is reported that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has demanded additional police force from the Police Headquarters to increase the security of the office located at Hinoo Airport Road. (IANS)
